A number of industries make use of large rolls of sheet material, such as paper. When these rolls of sheet material are moved within a warehouse, or moved between warehouses, it occasionally happens that one or both of the ends of the paper roll become damaged. Such damage can result from a variety of different mishaps. When such mishaps occur, it is desirable to still use the original paper roll to as great extent as possible. In this way, the entire roll does not have to be discarded because of one or more damaged ends. In order to preserve and make use of the damaged roll of sheet material, it is desirable to remove the damaged portions of the roll of sheet material. This is accomplished by cutting the damaged portion, or portions, of the roll off so that the remaining, undamaged portions can be used. The roll of sheet material may also be desirably cut simply to re-size the roll of sheet material, regardless of any damage.
In the past, the methods for removing the ends of rolls of sheet material have been cumbersome and time-consuming. Typically, the rolls could only be cut in a warehouse which had large, stationary machinery permanently on hand for dealing with the cutting of the rolls. Oftentimes, the paper rolls had to be reoriented so that their longitudinal axis pointed vertically before they could be cut by the roll-trimming machines. When the paper roll was oriented vertically, the end was cut off of the top of the paper roll. The cutting, therefore, typically took place at an elevated height in the warehouse. Often an operator of the roll-trimming machine was required to position himself at an elevated height in order to operate the machine. Working at such an elevated height increases the potential dangers to an operator of the equipment. Additionally, the act of reorienting the paper roll to a vertical orientation requires fairly significant time and labor. It is desirable to eliminate or reduce this time and labor.
When rolls of paper, or other sheet material, are cut, there is typically a significant amount of dust and debris which is generated by the cut. When a roll of paper is oriented vertically, the paper dust is typically free to fall completely over the paper roll itself. Because the cutting is performed at a higher vertical height, the paper dust also falls a greater distance and has a tendency to otherwise spread out to a greater degree. The containment of such dust to as small a confined area as possible is desirable. The smaller the area of dust, the easier the subsequent clean up. The act of cutting an end of a roll of sheet material off of the roll also normally entails a number of safety considerations. The safety considerations deal in great part with the issue of ensuring the safety of an operator while he or she is working in close proximity to a powerful saw blade. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) includes regulations dealing with such situations. These OSHA safety regulations have often, in the past, required special designs for the cutting machine, or special procedures for using the machine. It is desirable to have a paper-cutting machine that meets all safety standards while not requiring expensive or complicated engineering or designs.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a wheeled, portable paper-cutting machine is provided for cutting the ends off of rolls of paper. By having a portable paper-cutting machine, it is not necessary to move the paper roll to the cutting machine, but rather the cutting machine can be moved to the paper roll. This can greatly improve the efficiency of salvaging the damaged paper roll or re-sizing an undamaged roll, with a minimum of disruption in the overall operations of the warehouse.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for cutting the ends off of rolls of wound sheet material. The sheet material which is to be cut is rolled on a core, and a saw blade and center shaft are provided. The center shaft is aligned with the core of the sheet material, and the saw blade is rotated around the circumference of the roll of material. As the saw blade rotates around the circumference of the roll of material, the distance between the saw blade and the center shaft is decreased. This decreasing distance causes the saw blade to cut into the roll of paper and eventually cut off an end of the roll of sheet material.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a roll-trimming machine comprises a trailer, a support, a saw, and an adjustment mechanism. The trailer is adapted to be hitched onto a car or truck. The support is for holding a roll of sheet material and is mounted on the trailer. The saw is provided for cutting an end off the roll. The adjustment mechanism adjusts the position of the support with respect to the saw in order to properly align the roll of sheet material with the saw.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a roll-trimming machine includes a saw, a first and second cart, and a controller. The carts are both mounted on wheels and support the two ends of the roll of sheet material. The controller operates the saw such that the end of the roll of the sheet material can be trimmed by the saw.
According to other aspects of the present invention, a roll-trimming machine for cutting the ends off of a roll of wound sheet material is provided. The roll-trimming machine includes a base on which a center shaft is mounted. A rotary arm is mounted to rotate around a longitudinal axis defined by the center shaft. A saw is mounted on one end of the rotary arm, and a drive is provided which is adapted to move the saw toward the longitudinal axis of the center shaft while the rotary arm rotates.
The embodiments of the present invention provide a simple and efficient manner for trimming the ends off of rolls of sheet material, such as paper. The portable nature of the roll-trimming machine allows the machine to be moved to the site of the damaged paper roll, rather than requiring the paper roll to be moved. The roll-trimming machine is designed to be used for trimming the ends off of a roll while the roll is horizontally oriented, rather than vertically oriented. This simplifies the roll-trimming process. The portability and simplicity of the roll-trimming machine allow it to be used by customers who otherwise might not be able to afford the capital investment of a permanent roll cutter positioned in their plant. Because of its portability, the roll-trimming machine of the present invention can be rented to customers when the need arises or used as part of a roll-trimming service provided by a third party.